Automobile Mechanic
Salary

Very much a male-dominated career in the United States, Automobile Mechanics earn an average of $15.37 per hour. Total cash incomes of Automobile Mechanics run from $21K to $57K, depending on bonuses that can occasionally exceed $3K, profit sharing that reaches $24K, and some commissions of nearly $35K. Geographic location is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by career length. Medical benefits are awarded to just under a half, and around one in four earn dental coverage. For the most part, Automobile Mechanics enjoy their work and report high levels of job satisfaction. The information for this snapshot was generated by responses to the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Automobile Mechanic

An automobile mechanic needs to be well educated in a variety of subjects involved in car functions. Generally, you need some type of schooling to work in the auto mechanic industry. The majority of the time, a mechanic works indoors in a garage.

If you grew up fixing your own car or friend's cars and know what your doing, you will have it easy when applying for a mechanic position. Most of the time someone might know how to fix or tweak a certain part of the car, but not the entire thing. When it comes to being a mechanic, they need to know the ins and outs of a car to be successful.

In today's world, most auto repair shops require some degree of schooling to allow you to work for them. If you know someone inside the business though, they won't be that hard on you about this. The way that companies make cars currently, there is a high demand for auto mechanics.

The environment in which a mechanic works in can get very dusty and dirty. They generally work in garages that are indoors. This gives them the most reliable space to prepare for bad weather conditions. But the tight space and small room some mechanics have to work on can be very hard on the respiratory system.

In conclusion, a car mechanic needs to have a vast knowledge of every piece on the car. A technical degree or some other type of schooling is generally needed to get hired at most shops. Mechanics spend all day inside a tight cramped garage at a repair shop.

Automobile Mechanic Tasks

Communicate with customer service, parts and sales departments.

Diagnose malfunctions using electronic testing equipment.

Diagnose, repair and perform maintenance on automobiles.

Maintain inventory of tools and parts.

Common Career Paths for Automobile Mechanic

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There are some Automobile Mechanics — though it's uncommon — that transition into Mechanical Engineers, where earnings are an average $62K annually. It is quite typical for Automobile Mechanics to transition into roles as Auto Mechanics or Diesel Mechanics, where reported median earnings are $3K and $4K higher per year.

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Popular Skills for Automobile Mechanic

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Automobile Mechanics only report a few specific skills. Most notably, skills in Electronic Troubleshooting, Troubleshooting, System Repair, and Automotive Engine Repair are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 5 percent and 9 percent. Those familiar with System Repair also tend to know Electronic Troubleshooting.

Pay by Experience Level for Automobile Mechanic

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

Automobile Mechanics with a lot of experience tend to enjoy higher earnings. Salaries of relatively inexperienced workers fall in the neighborhood of $28K, but folks who have racked up five to 10 years see a notably higher median of $36K. On average, Automobile Mechanics make $40K following one to two decades on the job. Automobile Mechanics who have stuck around for more than two decades see earnings that are only slightly higher than those of folks who have worked for 10 to 20 years; the more senior group makes around $43K on average.